Oscillator



A. L. GOLDEN OSCILLATOR. APPucAnqw FILED MAY I6, 19w. RENEWED AUG. 9,1922.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922;.

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Aaron! rays A. L. GOLDEN.

- OSCILLATOR. v APPLICATION FILED MAY l6, I911- ]IENEWED AUG. 9, i922; 1,43 1,393; Pam/ed 00$. 10, 1922 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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'ALPHONS'US L. GOLDEN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGN' OR TONATIONAL RADIE} COMPNY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OE JARIZONA.

oral

t er objects of the inventionwill' be as w ."oscrninron.

Application weenie iafiaifv; Serial in. 138,857. ,aeneweaau ust 9,1922. I Serial 1%. 556,810.

To all whomit mag/concern:

Be it known that I, ALrHoNsUs L. GOLDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oscillators, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to an oscillator for the production of high frequency oscillating currents for use in connection with radio telephones, telegraphs and the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact,-easily operated andadjusted oscillator for use 1n connection with apparatus producing high frequency oscillating currents, which apparatus is greatly reduced in size and weight and which onl requires one pair of electrodes to produce .1; e same amount of smooth, uniform, high frequency oscillations formerly only pr'oduced'by oscillators employing sevairs of electrodes.

I follows: V

will not produce objectionable fumes nor.

. where al- I so To employ metal electrodes submerged in distilled water'or a like liquid which is not inflammable or explosive in any way, which deteriorate with use as is the case cohol isemployed.

Using a sparkgap where theelectrodes are "Very-close together. to allowthe condenser discharges to pass between the elec- .trodes' without creating too much heat, or,

in other-words, wasting energy in the form of heat in the surrounding liquid as well as in the electrodes. i

To employ electrodes which permit the vapor or gases formed to freely discharge and furthermore to connect the oscillatorin such a manner that it may either, be used in connection with a telephone or a telegraph and be connected in acircuit employing either direct or alternating current Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and I the. combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- 1g. 1 1s a diagrammatic view showlng the different apparatus employed in the wireless telephone system. l

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a wlreless system capable of employing net B;

. either direct or alternating current and .less telephone sending and receiving station,

in which A indicates a direct current generator cpnnccted in series with a solenoid magcoils, D a variable resistance and E an oscillator comprising a pair of submerged electrodes. This part of the station completes the direct current supplyv circuitwhile the primary oscillator circuit passes through a condenserF which is connected in series with the primary coil G of a high frequency transformer connected across the terminals of the electrodes forming the spark gap of the oscillator. The primary oscillator circuit is here shown in heavy lines to distinguish it from the current supply circuit in which the solenoid magnet is placed. The secondary oscillator circuit consists of the secondary coil of the transformer I, the. an tennae H and the transmitter J which is connected, as shown at K, with the ground.

The several apparatus employed and the specific connections. made do not form any important feature of the present invention, as these may be changed to suit varying con ditions and requirements, and as the con struction of the oscillator is the most important feature of the present invention it.

will readily be seen that the circuit connections are only of minor importance and are merely wn to illustrate one of the uses of he oscillator.

C indicates a pair of impedance I rial upon which is mounted a solenoid magnet 4 of suitable construction. Extending through the spool of the magnet is a tube 5 constructed of brass or an other non-magnetic material and extending through said tube is a brass rod 6 upon whichis secured the movable core 7 of the magnet. This core is preferably. constructed of soft laminated iron and as it is secured upon the rod'fi, it-

can readily be seen that the two will be ated during the operation of the oscillator.

Extending downwardly from the cover section 3 is a pair of rods 12, and forming is a pair of insu on the lower end ad-- a covering for said rods lating tubes 13. Secured of the rods is a bracket plate 14: and

- justably mounted in said bracket plate in jacent faces direct alignment with the electrode 10 is a second copper electrode 15.

In actual practice, it is onlynecessary to fill the container 2 with a sufficient amount of distilled water to submerge the electrodes 10 and 15. This water serves as a partial conductor and a resistance between the adof the electrodes, and therefore permits the formation of a spark discharge between the same which is constantly moving from oneplace to another, said move ment being due to the heating of the water and liberation of vapor or gases created by each spark discharge. The variable resistance thus created causes the spark to continuously travel from one point,to another, in this manner permitting an even burning or wasting of the electrode faces. A coil only 1 16 mounted within the container through which cool water is circulated maintains the temperature of the distilled water as low as may be desired, thereby preventing overheating of the oscillator or generation of steam during operation.

The separation of the electrodes when a circuit is established through the electrodes is' caused by the current flow through the I solenoid magnet 4. This when energized raises the core 7 thereby automatically lifting the upper electrode with relation to the stationary lowerelectrode 15, the actual spacing being determined by the resistance of the liquid medium" in which the electrodes are submerged as the spark discharge'can ump a certain gap without breaking the circuit, and as the solenoid magnet is directly connected in the circuit passing through the electrodes, it can readily be seen that the spacing between. the same is automatically maintained by the solenoid.

In actual practice, it has been found that copper electrodes can be most successfully employed in connection with distilled water, and it has also been found that the actual spacing required between the faces of the electrodes seldom exceeds three-thousandths of an inch. This is of great importance as it permits the condenser discharges to pass between the electrodes without producing end of the wasted energy in the form of heat in the surrounding liquid or in the electrodes. A lower voltage can furthermore be employed in this type of oscillator as the spark gap is shorter, thereby allowing the condenser discharge to pass through the distilled water film between the electrodes without having to pierce a gap having a higher resistance or requiring a heavier condenser discharge. A large gap requires a higher voltage to break down the insulating properties of the liquid between the electrodes to produce the necessary path for the flow of the current. This necessity is entirely eliminated as a three-thousandths of an inch spark gap has a comparatively small resistance, even though a-' film of distilled water is main-' tained between the electrodes;

The screw-threadformation 11 formed on the outside of the upper electrode is also an important feature, as it permits any vapor or gases generated to freely discharge inan upward direction.

The action taking place at the spark 'gap is as follows: When the electrodes are separated a certain distance, there is a partial insulating film-of distilled water formed between them. This film ofwater is pierced by the discharge from the condenser when the voltage of the-circuit has reached its highest point. The condenser dischar e passing between the -jelectrodes instanty vaporizes the water at the point of the discharge, thereby producing a higher resist ance to the flow of the current than'existsat other points between the electrode faces.

The higher resistance thus produced causes i the flow of current through the oscillator cir-J cult to be impeded at that point, thereby forcing the succeeding oscillations of discharges to pass between the electrodes at other'points on their faces through the distilled water film which exists at all points,

in this manner causingan even burning or wasting away of the electrodesduring actual merged in alcohol. Inthe operation of an number of high frequency oscillators, it has been found that in order to produce uni-'- form, persistent, undamped oscillations of high frequency, force and effect, it was absolutely necessary thatthe electrodes in each oscillator, should be provided with separate I or independent elements for the purpose of adjusting the spacing. between the electrodes in each separateoscillator. The importance of this feature can readily be understood, as a variation in spacing would render it practicall y. impossible toproduce synchronism of at 30. These generators oscillation between the several oscillators in a circuit. This one feature has caused a large amount of trouble where a. number of oscillators are employed in series, and, as the present form of oscillator is capable of producing the same result with only one pair of electrodes, it can readily be this difficulty has been entirely overcome.

Another important feature is the employment of distilled water as it is not explosive, combustible nor does it deteriorate with use or produce objectionalble odors when operating. These features all have to be contended 'ith when alcohol is employed. The apparatus as a whole may be greatly reduced in weight, size, cost of upkeep and cost of manufacture, not only because one pair of electrodes is employed but also due to the simplicity of the construction. The

distilled water remains constant, that is, it

seems as if it never loses its pressure conduction quality nor its insulating properties. It therefore serves its purpose more efficiently and continuously than alcohol, and as it is cheap compared with alcohol, it is certainly to be preferred;

While the diagrammatic View illustrated in Fig, 1 shows the oscillator employed in connection with a radio sending and receiving station, I Wish it understood that it may also be used' in connection with radio telegraphy or otherwise. For instance, by referring to the diagrammatic sriew shown in Fig. 2, it is possible to employ a direct current generator, such as shown at A and an alternating current generator, such as shown may be connected with the primary circuit by a double-pole double-throw switch 31. Similarly the current circuit of the antennae may be provided with a double-throw switch 32 which permits the secondary oscillation circuit to pass either through the transmitter or a key instrument, such as shown at 33. The station may therefore employ a direct current when the phone is being employed or in connection with the key instrument or an alternating current may be employed in connection with the key instrument. The change from-phone to telegraphic service is practically instantaneous as it is only necessary to operate the switches 31 and 32 to change the current fiow through the diiferent in struments employed. a

The material and finish of the several parts may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufacture will dictate.

I wish it understood that various changes seen that I trodes, submerged in and a screw thread formed on the exterior .100

in the form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, and that I do not wish to limit myself to the specific design and construction here shown.

Having thus described my invention, what claim and desire to secure by Letters atent is:

1. An oscillator comprising a container a body of distilled water in said container, a stationary copper electrode mounted in the container, amovable copper electrode mounted in alignment with the stationary electrode, said electrode being entirely submerged in the distilled water, a screw thread formed on the exterior of the movable electrode and extending substantially from end to end thereof, and means for automatically lifting the movable electrode and supporting it in spaced position with relation to the stationary electrode when a circuit is closed through the electrodes.

2. An oscillator comprising a cylindrical container, a body of distilled Water in said container, a cover for the container, a pair of rods secured to the cover extending down into the container, a bracket plate connecting the lower ends of the rods, a copper electrode adjustably secured in said plate, an insulating covering for each rod, a solenoid magnet supported by the cover, a movable core in the magnet, a dash pot connected with the upper end of the core, a rod secured to the opposite end of the core, a copper electrode carried by the rod and positioned in alignment with the first-named electrode, and an insulating covering for said rod.

3. In an oscillator, a container, distilled water in said container, a pair of vertically positioned equidistantly inter-spaced electhe distilled water,

surface of one of the electrodes and extendingfrom top to bottom thereof.

4. In an oscillator a container, distilled water in said container, a pair of su'per-imposed electrodes submerged in the distilled water, and a screw thread formed on the exterior surface of the upper electrode and intending to the plane of the sparking surace.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALPHONSUS L. GOLDEN.

Witnesses WV. W. HEALEY, M. E. EWING. 

